I have just come back from one of the most memorable experiences of my life- the Oman Desert Marathon, which is a 165 km race run over 6 days. I ran for 4-8 hours each day carrying my 20lbs of equipment on my back, such as my sleeping bag and the food that would keep me going throughout this adventure.

On day 1 I found it really tough – it was so hot and I really felt like I was hitting a wall. However, that evening, whilst resting at the camp, something changed making this a run like no other for me. There was a 58 year old, blind lady, Odile, who was also doing the marathon accompanied by a guide. Unfortunately the guide injured his knee so had to drop out. One of the organisers announced this and asked if anyone would be willing to volunteer to help Odile round. There were a lot of blank faces whilst everyone looked around the room, but I saw it as an amazing opportunity so happily volunteered.

Last night was a big one for myself and the Comptoir team. We were delighted to have won the award for Innovation at The Lunch Business Awards 2014, held in Islington last night. The awards are the first of their kind in this sector, offering a fantastic way to celebrate success in the eating out of home market. We were up against some other great brands – Hai Street Kitchen and Timberyard – so it means even more to me to have been held in such high regard.